Nicki Minaj drops new album 'Queen' a week ahead of release date: Stream

Just last week, Nicki Minaj announced that her new album 'Queen' would suffer another delay in release (it was initially slotted for a June release), this time owing to complications over the rights to a Tracy Chapman sample on one of the tracks. The album was ultimately slated for an August 17 release but it looks like the tides have turned because Minaj just dropped 'Queen' a whole week ahead of the release date, via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic.

It spans a generous total of 19 songs and features collaborations with rumored beau Eminem, The Weeknd, Future, Foxy Brown, and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd. Ariana Grande also appears on the previously teased single, 'Bed', and Lil Wayne guests on the other previewed single 'Rich Sex'. The early single 'Chun-Li' also appears on the final tracklist.

Curiously, the fourth and final teased preview 'Barbie Tingz' is renamed to 'Barbie Dreams' — which as Pitchfork notes, is a flip of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Just Playing (Dreams)". On the track, she targets numerous rappers, including her ex-boyfriend Meek Mill, Drake (“Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me shit/But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he cryin' and shit”), Desiigner (“Shoutout Desiigner, 'cause he made it out of special ed”), Young Thug (“Used to fuck with Young Thug, I ain't addressing this shit/I caught him in my dressing rooms stealing dresses and shit”), and DJ Khaled (“I had to cancel DJ Khaled, we ain’t speaking / Ain’t no fat n****a telling me what he ain’t eating”).

Spotify and Apple Music subscribers can listen to 'Barbie Dreams' along with the rest of the album below:

Queen arrives just in time for 'NICKIHNDRXX Tour', Minaj’s joint outing with Future, which kicks off September 21. You can grab tickets here. Check out the tracklist for 'Queen' as well as the album art below.

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MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. We are one of the world’s fastest growing
media-tech companies with hubs around the world. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of
reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader.